Derrick Rose addresses his fans in his first public statement since his knee surgery (VIDEO)

Chicago Bulls fans haven't seen star guard Derrick Rose since May 1, when he wordlessly strolled out to mid-court at the United Center to hand that night's game ball to the referees before tip-off. Chicago went on to lose that contest, Game 2 of its opening-round series with the Philadelphia 76ers, and the rest of the series almost entirely because Rose had suffered a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament three days earlier, in Game 1.

On Friday, in his first comments since the injury, Rose took to YouTube to thank well-wishers as he slogs through what has to be a frustrating rehab, in the midst of a miserable offseason for his Chicago Bulls:

Rose isn't speaking out of turn when he tells his fans that he'll "be all right," but even with a sound rehabilitation from his May 12 surgery, Chicago's 2012-13 season is more or less lost.

Worried about luxury tax penalties despite routinely ranking as one of the NBA's most profitable franchises, the Bulls declined to retain the depth in personnel that helped the team tie for the NBA's best record in 2011-12, despite Rose and Luol Deng combining to miss 39 games.

Not only will Rose missed eight-to-12 months as he recovers, but it often takes a goodly chunk of time following a return to the court to regain the sort of strength and agility needed to completely recover to a patient's pre-injury form. This puts the delay, while the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder grow in stature and confidence, in even more maddening terms.

For one afternoon, though, in the heat of the offseason? It was nice to see D-Rose again.